Button-stick and cleaning-shield.



Nu. 64I,676. I Patented Ian. 23, I900. T. 0. CUBTISS.

BUTTON STICK AND CLEANING SHIELD.

(Application filed May 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT THOMAS 0. CURTISS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,676, dated January 23, I900. Application filed a 4, 1899. Serial No. 715,517. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS O. OURTISS, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city,borough of Richmond, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Sticks and Cleaning- Shields, of which the following is a specification.

, In this class of devices, of which I am aware, the edges of the buttons have been held so close to the surface of the shield or protector that the brush could not conveniently reach the edges to polish them.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient device adapted to hold buttons so that they may be readily cleaned while still attached to the garment, and one of the principal features of my invention is that the device will hold the buttons in such position that their edges as well as their outer surfaces can be reached for the purpose of polishing them.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the device that it may act as a shield to pass between buttons attached to a stiff article-such as a helmet, harness-saddle,and the like-where the material of the part carrying the button will not readily bend, so as to be used in accordance with the part of my invention above mentioned.

In carrying out my invention I provide a button-stick having a slot adapted to receive the shanks of buttons, the edges of which slot are raised above the main surface of the shield, so as to elevate the buttons from said surface to present their edges in position to be polished. By preference I provide a stick or shield in two parts hinged together, the raised edges of which parts are adapted to register,

so that the parts of the shield can be spread apart to receive the shanks of the buttons in the slot and can then be closed against said shanks.

The inventionalso consists in the novel details of improvement and the combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a face view of a button-stick and cleaningshield embodyingmyimprovements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2- in Fig. 1, showing the button-stick applied to a but ton on a garment; and Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, 1 2 indicate plates, strips, or the like shown provided with handles 1 2*, that are recessed on their outer edges, so that when brought together they will form a space 3, adapted to receivea button. The plates 1 2 are to be hinged together, so that they can spread apart and be reversed in position, and for this purpose I have shown a bar 4, pivotally connected to said plates,as by rivets or the like 4*, the outer ends 1 2 of the plates 1 2 being shown curved, so that they can be swung around and reversed in position, whereby the longitudinal edges on opposite sides of the plates can be brought into juxtaposition by swinging the plates on their pivots. In order to hold the plates rigidly from longitudinal movement relatively to each other when they are in their closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, by preference I depress the outer ends of the plates 1 2 at 1 2 to form shoulders 1 2 that are in such position that the bar 4 will rest against them, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby said shoulders and the bar 4, in conjunction with the pivots 4, act to lock the parts from relatively 1ongitudinal movement. It is evident, however, that the parts 1 2 can be otherwise hinged together, if desired. Between the edges 5 6 of the plates 1 2 is a slot 7, adapted to receive the shanks of buttons 8, and at one end of the slot the material of the plates is preferably left at 9 to provide an abutment to limit the movement of the button-shank in the slot, and near the opposite end of the plates-that is to say, between the inner end of slot 7 and the handles 1 2-the edges 1 2 of said plates are adapted to register, and they thus form abutments to prevent outward movement of the buttonshanks from the slot.

The edges 5 6 of the plates 1 2 are raised from the surface of the plate, so as to form a channel beneath them, as shown in Fig. 2, and the webs 1O 11 preferably incline outwardly from the edges 5 6 to the main part of the plates 1 2, and by preference at the j unction of the parts 1 10 and 2 11 are grooves or depressions 12.13, adapted to receive powder that may be brushed ofi of the buttons. As

shown in Fig. 2, when the button-shank is clamped between the edges 5 6 the material of the garment or other fabric 14 will bend and pass upinto the channel under said edges, particularly when the button-shank is short, and it will furthermore be seen that the edges of the button are raised from the main surface of plates 1 2 in such position that a brush can be conveniently rubbed against them in addition to being rubbed across the surface of the buttons.

The opposite edges 15 16 of the plates 1 2 are shown flat and by preference are provided with opposed notches or recesses 15 16, that are adapted to register when the plates 1 2 are swung around on their pivots, so that the edges 15 16 will abut, which notches are adapted to receive the shanks of buttons. It will be understood that when the edges 15 16 come together they will only be the thickness of the plates 1 2, and can thus be pushed under buttons that have short shanks and that are attached to rigid articles-such as a helmet, harness-saddle, and the like-and when in such position will act as a shield to keep the powder or cleaning material that is used on the buttons from being forcibly brushed from the articles carrying the buttons. It will likewise be seen that when the button is held between the edges 5 6 of the plates, as in Fig. 2, the button-stick will act as a shield to keep the cleaning material from being forcibly brushed upon the garment, and as several buttons can be held at the same time in the slot '7 and their edges can be pushed into contact they will substantially close said slot.

I do not limit my invention to the precise details of construction shown and described, as they may be varied without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates or strips hinged together so that corresponding pairs of edges may be brought into substantially parallel juxtaposition to receive button-shanks between them respectively, substantially as described.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates or strips and a transverse bar pivoted thereto so that pairs of edges may be brought into juxtaposition to receive l.)utton-sl1a1iks between them by revcrsing the relative position of the plates, substantially as described.

3. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates having shoulders or abutments near their outer ends and a crossbar pivotally connected with said plates, whereby said shoulders and bar may abut, and whereby opposite edges of said plates may be brought into juxtaposition to receive buttonshanks between them, substantially as -described.

4. A device of the character described comprising a body havinga slot to receive button-shanks, the opposed edges of said slot being raised from the surface of the body providing a channel beneath them and a slot between them, whereby a button can be held raised from the surface of the body to enable its edges to be polished, substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described comprising a body having a longitudinal slot the edges of which are raised from the surface of the body providing a channel on the opposite side, and an abutment at the end of the slot, substantially as described.

6. A device of the character described comprising two plates or strips pivotally connected togetherand adapted to form a slot to receive button shanks between them, the edges of said slot being raised from the surface of the plates, the material of the plates forming abutments to limit the movement of the button-shanks in the slot, substantially as described.

7. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates or strips connected together and having a slot between them, and handles extending from said plates having recessed edges to form a space for the passage of buttons into the slot, substantially as described.

8. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates or strips pivotall y connected together and each having an edge raised from the surface of the plate adapted to be brought into juxtaposition, the opposite edge of each plate havingnotohes adapted to register when said edges of the plates are brought together, substantially as described.

TITOS. O. CUR'IISS.

\Vitnesses:

'1. F. BOURNE, F. E. TURNER. 

